How unhealthy is chinese food?

Question

Wondering.

Answer 1

Some chinese food contains MSG a form of a salt which is unhealthy when use in over abundance.

Answer 2

Well technically, a lot of the chinese food that is sold in America isn't even really eaten by people of Chinese descent. Your shrimp fried rice, General Tso Chicken, Orange Chicken, etc. If any of it, white rice is a common food eaten by people of Chinese descent. I can't tell you for certain exactly how unhealthy chinese food is, but many of the dishes are unhealthy. They contain a lot of grease, which isn't good for you. I'm not saying you can't eat it, but not all the time.

Answer 3

Take It From An Asian,
It's Actually Pretty Healthy.
Hahah.
Cause Chinese Dont Really
Fry There Foods Very Often
And Use Things Like Soy
Sauce And Tofu, Which Are
Made From Soy Beans=Healty:)

Answer 4

It depends on what you are eating actually. The chinese food in america is worst than those found in China. Typical chinese food are healthy as the chinese prefer alternative cooking methods such as steaming and boiling. Also, they prefer lots of vegetables and less salty stuff. However this makes the food bland and not "american-friendly". American chinese food contains loads of MSG (that's why it taste good), salt, oil and flour (fattening) all to make it taste good.

Answer 5

It really all depends on WHAT you are eating.

Think about it this way.....look at Asians..... how many fat Chinese/Japanese people are there in comparison to Americans?? See what I mean??

Like Japanese people eat plenty of fish and vegetables, etc. You go to a restaurant here in America.... so MANY people order tempura which is just deep-fried, breaded/battered, and ultimately HORRIBLE for you.

Chinese people DO NOT eat most of the thing American Chinese restaurants are known for. Like sweet-and-sour chicken......all of those deep-fried dishes.

If you go to a Chinese restaurant....and let's say you have soup, a couple wontons or egg rolls, sweet-and-sour chicken with fried rice.....HORRIBLE choices. EASILY well over a thousand calories. Just LADEN with fat, sodium, carbs.....THIS is why you always hear people saying they feel so full on Chinese food, but it doesn't take long for that feeling to go away. That's because they're eating TONS of EMPTY calories.

Now, you can go in there and order steamed vegetables and chicken with NO SAUCE.....and then order BROWN SAUCE on the side. Brown sauce is SO good..... mmmm.

Condiments, too....duck sauce, soy sauce.

If you MUST have rice, get STEAMED WHITE RICE, and eat just enough to satisfy your craving.

This is what I always order at Chinese restaurants. I get takeout a lot. I lost A LOT of weight years ago....and have kept it off. It took some getting used to at first, but now I love it. :)

Good question.....I don't think people are aware of how bad some of those things are.

Answer 6

I agree with Andrew and Kiya. Its no worse than lots of other stuff we eat, but moderation is the key to everything.
By the way - all those skinny Chinesse you see, wouldnt touch American Chinesse food and make their own stuff and
if you go anyplace in the world and ask for Chow Mein, they
wont even know what you are talking about. Having said that
its faster than all fast food and tastier too and has a bigger
selection and the price is very good. Enjoy!
(in moderation)

Answer 7

The american version is pretty unhealthy. But delicious.

The chinese version (the real thing) is exceptionally healthy, except that it tends to have slightly less than optimal protein for growth in adolescents and pregnant women.

Answer 8

Depending on the dish, not unhealthy at all if it is prepared in a traditional Chinese way.

The problem with American Chinese restaurants is the portion size and a lot of additives and fat that are not used in China.

Look at Chinese people in general. They are not fat.

Answer 9

Could not be that unhealthy. Healthier than American food, that's for sure. Have you seen how thin most Chinese people are despite the fact that they eat lots. When I'm in Los Angeles, I always go to China Town to eat and always see really really old people that look just great and healthy. So the food could not be that unhealthy.

Answer 10

Overall Chinese food is extremely health. limited meat and lots of fruits and veggies. They generally have lower, heart problems, diabetes, cholesterol is lower. etc.
Read Dr.Campbell book The China Study.

However, now that our fast foods have moved to China and their diets are become more westernized their national health has declined and at present they have a national epidemic of obesity in their children.